Short Story

The Government Document Leg SITUATION REPORT FROM AGENT LANG, EMBEDDED IN [REDACTED] WYOMING AUGUST 13, 2026 BEGIN REPORT: INITIAL REPORTS HAVE PROVEN TRUE. THREAT LEVEL ALPHA. REPEAT, THREAT LEVEL ALPHA. CMMDR [REDACTED] REQUIRED IMMEDIATE NOTICE IF ALPHA-LEVEL EVENT WAS DETECTED. INITIAL REPORT WAS DELAYED DUE TO [REDACTED] INTERFERENCE FROM OCCULT FORCES. IMMEDIATE [REDACTED] MILITARY RESPONSE… Read more

The Maqama Leg I stood in the middle of the marketplace of the city of Alaco beneath the beating sun. It was the midday hour, the sun clanged against my skull like a hammer, and my belly was empty, for I’d had nothing to break my morning fast. My pockets were empty, containing not even… Read more

The Catalogue Leg Longing Blade Item #: 666-45208 Dimensions: 8 inches x 2 inches x .5 inch.  Materials Weight: Varies Don’t miss your chance to own this one-of-a-kind item! The Longing Blade dates to before the founding of the Empire and contains one genuine human soul. Forged from the fallen star responsible for slaying the… Read more

The Prayer Leg All Mother, we thank you for the air in our lungs, the iron in our blood, the fire in our hearts, and the earth in our bones.  All Mother, we offer up all that we are, for all comes from you and returns to you in the end. We thank you for… Read more

The 55 Word Leg The flash of teeth, the scent of musk, so utterly animal. The force of the impact, but there was no real pain. Shock, I suppose. Ragged, gaping wound, bone glistens white beneath thready red meat. I should be dead, but something’s wrong (changing). I can feel it (changing), winding through my… Read more

The Brawl Leg “Help! Someone help me!”  The cry for aid cuts across the night-dark city, echoing off graffiti-covered office buildings and decaying high rises. “No one can hear you, Helen Pless, and even if they could, no one cares. You’re mine now!” The villain laughs madly while twirling his mustache. “Dirk Disastro, you’re wrong.… Read more

The Wake Leg So, this is a weird one, and it’s actually based on two incidents of talking in my sleep, as well as one of my stranger dreams. I’m awake, I’m awake. Ma, don’t hold the door. There’s cereal on the tugboat, and the ship’s too far from shore.  Acorns scatter, turn ‘em into… Read more

The Blueprint Leg Walk deep into the forest and locate the entrance to the valley. It’s hard to see because there’s a fall of boulders blocking the entrance. You’ll need to scramble over or around. Be careful not to cut yourself. The rocks are sharp, and the blood will attract…things. Once in the valley, the… Read more

The Quote-Mutant Leg This was an interesting one. I chose Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and gave it a light mauling. It’s more “laugh so you don’t cry” funny than actually humorous. Four score and seven years ago our fathers quibbled with their king. After a bit of face-slapping, they birthed a new nation, conceived in the… Read more

The Haibun Leg Slender wands of brown and green dance, heart-shaped green flags flapping in the breeze. Red, purple, and black berries dangle, bounce, drop to the mulch below. One, two, five, twenty, black-eyed, punk-rock tufted, brown-to-yellow, the waxwings gorge themselves in waves, spreading Mulberry’s children across Mother Earth’s expanse. Berry, berry black Wanton in… Read more